Topics

211

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Ray Recon VC 2-17

« on: February 17, 2020, 08:56:36 PM »

Got off work much earlier than expected so I spent the afternoon looking to harvest some rays and recon for SNBF.

Spot #1 I haven’t been to in like 15 years but the water looked good when I arrived st 2pm. Bottom of the tide when I arrived but started getting short bit soon after. No ray bites so I left at 4pm.

Spot #2 didn’t have enough sand so I went to

Spot #3 where there was enough sand. More short bites until sunset when the steady zzzzzzzzzz came through. I’ve got 2 rods out at this point, and I’m failing miserably at clearing the other line while the ray takes its first run. Finally give up and try to look composed for the attractive females whose view of the sunset I’m blocking. 3 minutes in, the hook just unbuttons. Swear words unravel like an entryway rug but I keep my body language composed to say “I know what I’m doing ladies.”

Left at the top of the tide with no wings in the bucket or new contacts in the phone. I’ll probably try again tomorrow.

Jeremy

212

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / All Quiet on the VC Front

« on: November 25, 2019, 03:22:28 AM »

Fished yesterday and today(11/23, 11/24) for nada.

Day 1 was kelpy in two spots 5 miles apart. However it was a warm evening.

Not so much kelp day 2 but a much cooler evening which I was not prepared for. Suffered with just a rain jacket til 8:30pm.

No bites on ray either day.

Might load up on mackerel this week if they’re around.

213

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / How to Catch Trophy Perch, Vol. 1

« on: November 13, 2019, 12:59:51 AM »

Today we are going over revolutionary techniques to achieving greatness in the surf perch fisherman's community.

Everything starts with the rig! I like an Avet MXJ filled with 60# braid with 25 feet of 80# Ande mono topshot. We apply the reel to something with length and backbone, such as a Penn Carnage ii 12' XH rod, capable of casting up to 12oz and handling 30-80# braid.

On the end of the line, we have a 10/0 octopus hook with a 3' section of 135# nylon coated 7 strand wire attached. We don't want that once-in-a-lifetime toad perch to chew through, now do we?

We use a 3 way swivel on the opposite end of the wire, then attach a 7oz sputnik sinker to a length of 80# mono similar to that of the wire on the other side of the swivel.



Now it's time to head to your favorite spot! Preferably somewhere in Ventura County, because you can't catch big perch elsewhere. Sorry San Diegans! Stay classy!

Do you have some fresh mackerel handy? Good! Cut the bugger in half. Big baits = big perch!

Cast your line past the breakers. Now, watch and wait patiently. The strike is sudden and the quick reaction is your gateway to success!

There it is, set the hook!

Keep the line tight. Reel, reel!

Use the waves to beach him!

You got 'em!



Congratulations! Remember to release your trophy to support the positive characteristics of this fish in the gene pool!

Unfortunately, you may run into grubby, time wasting rays and sharks whilst on the hunt for those Trophy Perch.



End result for the night:

1 BSP
1 Thornback
2 Sevengills (52", 55")

Based on a true story,
Jeremy

214

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Testing Ventura Waters 11/8

« on: November 08, 2019, 09:57:38 PM »

Fished 2pm-8pm, 2 beaches. Even split of time between the two. Both were light on the weeds. 10 knot wind died at sunset.

Guy walking by me told me there was somebody dropping baits last week at the same spot with a drone. Started figuring that kind of thing into my 10 year plan.

Arrived at spot A, was getting prominent pecks and nibbles on mack chunks, couldn't get them to go.

On one retrieve I snagged this tiny little feller.



I know what you're thinking, I thought it too, but it fell off the hook trying to cast it out...girl with dyed hair with hands on her hips watching me try to wade out and cast it, don't wanna judge too hard but I felt like I was in for an ear full when I got back to the hard pack. She walked away when she saw the ray slip off the hook.

Moved up coast at sunset. Wind died nicely.

A couple missed hook sets here before I finally laid into something and it took off. Fiercest run I've ever had, dragged buttoned down on the Avet and still heading to Santa Cruz. I feel head shakes so I'm trying to keep my sh!t together cuz this would be a submarine of a shark, it's pushing me much harder than an 8' 7 did.

15 minutes in, I finally see the little rat tail sticking out of the wash...

45"



Lost my favorite pliers during the release in the wash, kinda bummed about that.

More sore than I care to admit from that slime ball. Second time at this beach I've been duped by a bat ray that fights like something else.

Maybe try again tomorrow.

215

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Malibu Exploring 11/6, Bird Sitting

« on: November 07, 2019, 06:09:13 PM »

Made a solo trip last night from about 6pm-midnight.

Tried the usual first spot, lake like conditions and no salad, but felt pretty dead. Packed it up after about 2 hours and headed south.

Spot #2 I've wanted to try for years but whenever I drive by it looks weedier than Willie's bus. This night there were almost no weeds. Small boulders in the sand kept me on my toes but it felt fishy.

Sure enough, 9pm rolls by and I get a good first hit. 47" leo on the tail half of a mackerel.



A few casts later I got another about 3', tail hooked so I didn't bother with a pic, quick release.

Rest of the night I had maybe one set off the clicker with a very short tug to find my bait mauled. Others were silent but equally thieving.

Pardon my fascination with destroyed baits.



I sent a whole mack hoping for less thievery, but it came back shredded and gutted.



I did see some lobster molts on the ground, so maybe they were having a day out there.

Also saw this seabird limping and cawing, so I walked down to inspect it. Not limping away from me so I picked it up with my hoodie and checked its feet to make sure it wasn't tangled in trash or anything. Then I bird sat for about 10 minutes before it hobbled off and into the rocks.



A western grebe, for all you nerds.

2 decent leos in 6 hours is still a slow night, but it's the best I've done in a bit. Solo nights on the beach are my happy place regardless of fish, but I'm hoping it breaks open with the exotics real soon.

216

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / VC 10/28

« on: October 28, 2019, 12:49:11 AM »

1-3ft waves, 60º air, 65º water, 8kt winds at 5, calm by 10pm, high tide at 10:15pm, light to moderate kelp.



Bait stealers picking mackerel clean to the bone with the tail halves, not really touching the head halves. Smaller chunks didn't do any good. No obvious bites. Happy just to decompress for a few hours on the sand. Might try some new spots in the near future.

217

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / NVC 10/20: Still Waiting, but a PB Leo

« on: October 21, 2019, 02:13:09 AM »

6pm-11pm. Low tide at 10:15pm.

Leo bit at about 9pm. 50" boyyo (edit: judging by another pic with the tail in view it’s 52”). Caught on chunk mackerel. Was pretty feisty, coming in I thought it might be my first soupy, but I'll take a PB any day. Bait picker-atters present.

Water temp 63º. Moderate kelp. Some wind in the night but not bad. Occasional 4' outside break was pushing my rig down the beach every other cast, even with a 6oz sputnik. Probably need a refresher on advanced casting techniques to get that extra 50'. Soaked bat ray the last hour for no action.

Jeremy

218

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / NVC - 10/14

« on: October 14, 2019, 11:37:15 PM »

High tide 10:15pm, fished 7:30pm-11:15pm. 65 degree water.

Lake like conditions, no wind, no weeds. Water was so clear that while wading out to cast, with my headlamp light I could see the eyes of shovels and bats reflecting back at me in the water, along with a few small baitfish.

I was strictly using ray for bait, trying to get a pulse on if it's sevengill season yet. From my observations, it is not time. No bites for two rods soaking the whole time.